[Polpol News] Opinions Split on Cho Heedae's Confirmation Hearing ... 43% Say 'Resolve Suspicions' vs 41% Cite 'Judicial Independence Infringement'

NBS Public Opinion Survey
Lee Jaemyung's Approval Rating Drops by 2 Percentage Points to 57%
55% Say Direct Cash Investment in the U.S. Is Inappropriate
63% Oppose the Introduction of a 4.5-Day Workweek vs 32% in Favor

A recent public opinion survey found that President Lee Jaemyung's approval rating for his administration has slightly declined. Regarding the request for Chief Justice Cho Heedae to attend a confirmation hearing, opinions were evenly divided.

According to the National Barometer Survey (NBS), conducted by Embrain Public, KSTAT Research, Korea Research, and Hankook Research from September 29 to October 1, 2025, through mobile phone interviews with 1,003 men and women aged 18 and older nationwide (with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 15.6%), the positive evaluation of President Lee's administration was 57%, down 2 percentage points from the survey two weeks prior. The negative evaluation rose by 3 percentage points to 34%.

Regarding the direction of state affairs, 55% of respondents said the administration was heading in the right direction, a decrease of 7 percentage points compared to the 62% recorded in the first week of September. The proportion of those who believed the administration was heading in the wrong direction increased by 6 percentage points from a month ago to 37%.

In the party support poll, the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party recorded the same approval ratings as two weeks ago, at 41% and 22%, respectively.

Regarding the Korea-U.S. tariff negotiations, 55% of respondents said that, given the current state of the Korean economy, direct cash investment is not appropriate even if tariff rates cannot be lowered. In contrast, 26% believed it would be appropriate to lower tariff rates even if it meant making direct cash investments in line with U.S. demands.

Yonhap News Agency

Regarding the selection of Chief Justice Cho as a witness in the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, in connection with the Supreme Court’s decision to remand President Lee's election law conviction during his presidential candidacy, opinions were closely divided. 43% of respondents said it was a necessary measure to resolve suspicions over major issues, while 41% said it was an excessive measure that infringed on judicial independence.

On the introduction of a 4.5-day workweek, 63% of respondents were opposed, outpacing the 32% who were in favor.

For more detailed information regarding the public opinion survey, please refer to the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.